


The Boys are Back

by MoonliteDelight



Series: A Splash Potion of Rebirth [2]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Toby Smith | Tubbo, Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family Dynamics, Gen, Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, Twins Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wilbur Soot is Floris | Fundy's Parent, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28381698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonliteDelight/pseuds/MoonliteDelight
Summary: And everyone is lost and confused.----The aftermath of "Back to the Way Things Used to Be". Takes place directly after the potion is splashed down on everyone.
Relationships: Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit
Series: A Splash Potion of Rebirth [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074650
Comments: 99
Kudos: 502





	1. We Need an Adult - Techno POV

**Author's Note:**

> By popular demand, here is the continuation of "Back to the Way Things Used to Be"! I'll be honest, this fic isn't completely planned out yet but I'm excited to keep working on this AU. Also highly recommend listening to Techno's early videos to get a good idea of what his voice sounds like in this fic since that's about the age he was when he started YT.
> 
> Here's where the ages land:  
> Wilbur & Techno: 24 -> 14 years old  
> Tommy & Tubbo: 16 -> 6 years old  
> Fundy: 6 years old (physically/mentally 21)** -> 6 months old (6 months physically/mentally)  
> **I mentioned in the ending A/N of the last fic that Fundy ages faster bc fox hybrid + needing to fit him into the timeline as Wilbur’s son bc I love that fam dynamics too much. Said faster aging is not linear (Baby to toddler proceeds about the same;toddler to child is about 2x shorter;child to teen is about 3x shorter;teen to adult is very short) which is just to explain why Wilbur babied Fundy so much, kiddo aged much faster than expected.
> 
> Also this author subscribes to the Dad!schlatt au so there’s a baby ram-hybrid Tubbo that is Phil’s adopted son.

The first thing Techno noticed as he came to was the piercing cries of a baby echoing through his head. He let out a groan, pulling an arm over his eyes to block out the noise and trying to go back to sleep. The chorus of voices that plagued him constantly seemed to wake up with him, shouting something about babies and ravines.

A second later, everything seemed to hit him at once as he jerked awake.

From the cold floor to the crying baby to Wilbur piled on top of him at an uncomfortable angle, Techno realized that not only was he not in his bed or bedroom, but he had no idea where he was. Not to mention the baby’s cries weren’t just echoing around his head, it was echoing around a  _ ravine. _

Techno pulled his brother off of him, shifting him into a more comfortable position before standing. Almost immediately, Techno collapsed back to the ground with a grunt. He blinked in surprise. And then exhaustion hit him like a brick wall;his body feeling like he just ran a marathon and then some. 

Taking a deep breath, the teen tried again, pushing himself up and managing to stand. From the higher vantage point, even if it was only a few extra feet, Techno could see more of the ravine. Namely, a baby laying in a pile of black clothing next to his younger brothers. Tubbo and Tommy looked to be laying in their own pile of clothes, though Techno could see it was just that the boys were wearing clothes way too big for them. 

Realizing he was the only one standing, Techno thought for a moment about waking up the others before choosing to prioritize the  _ literal baby on the ground. _

The boy shuffled over to the child, distantly recognizing his own clothes seemed a little loose on him, and kneeled next to it. His hands awkwardly hovered for a moment, the piglin hybrid internally panicking as he realized he had never even touched a baby before let alone knew how to make one stop crying.

**Baby. Hold the Baby. Baby. Baby cute. Baby Techno.**

Surprisingly, one group of voices stand out in the cacophony.

**Cradle the head. Support the Baby neck. Gently rock him.**

Taking the advice of the voices, Techno scooped up the baby with some of the clothes and held it close to his body. The moment the baby was in his arms, he realized the child was as cold as the stone floor. He made shushing noises at it as he wrapped the oversized jacket around it. The boy sat back on his heels as he rocked the baby, continuing to make shushing noises and nervously glancing at his, still unconscious, siblings. 

He’s not sure whether it was his higher-than-average body heat or rocking motions that soothed the child, but either way it was finally quieting down. Little black eyes stared back at Techno, who felt more anxious with the prolonged eye contact with each second. The baby’s little ears (cat ears, possibly? Or fox? He wasn’t sure) flicked occasionally as though the baby didn’t know what to make of Techno either.

Thankfully, the boy was saved from further contact as a groan rang out from across the ravine. Looking up, Techno saw Wilbur lean into a sitting position, eyes fluttering open and meeting Techno’s. He could see the moment Wilbur realized where they were and that his twin was holding an  _ actual, real live baby in his arms. _

From the way Wilbur stumbled his way to him, Techno could see that Wilbur had the same exhaustion and fatigue he had. Concern overshadowed him for a moment before he heard the baby make a small whine. His anxiety came back full force as he went back to rocking the child, possibly a little faster than he should. 

Wilbur collapsed next to him, leaning on his shoulder and looking into his arms. “Okay...Where the hell are we? Why do you have a baby? And why do I feel like I just ran through the forest for three days? And where’s dad?”

Techno blinked at the barrage of questions. He furrowed his brows for a moment as he tried to think of the answers, ignoring the chorus that swelled in response. “Uhhh...Okay. I have no idea. It was on the ground. I don’t know but I feel it too. And I haven’t seen him since I woke up like...two minutes ago.”

His brother wrinkled his nose. “Did you just call the baby an ‘it’? Tech, what the hell man.”

“With everything I just said, that’s what you focus on? My pronoun use for a baby I just found on the ground?” Techno huffed out a laugh. The baby seemed to catch on and started to giggle as well. The voices started whispering ‘ **E** ’ and ‘ **cancelled** ’.

“Well, yeah. And now that I’m looking at them, I think they’re like...almost a toddler? Like between a baby and a toddler. But I dunno, Tommy was like 4 when we found him so I don’t really know anything about babies.” Wilbur squinted at the baby, who giggled at him in turn. Wilbur held out his hands. “Here, why don’t I take them while you figure out where we are? And I’ll wake up the boys while I’m at it.”

Relief filled Techno as he almost shoved the baby at Wilbur, who took to holding it- _ them _ like a duck to water. The boy stood, holding the wall, as he watched the younger twin baby-talk. He couldn’t really understand what was being said, though he caught snippets of “cutie” and “champion”. 

It was best to leave Wilbur to his weird tendencies.

Techno looked around the ravine. Upon first glance, the area just looked like an overgrown mess with rotting wood littering the walls and floor. But after looking closer, he could see something resembling a camp, with pathways leading up to carved out rooms that he could barely see in the dim torch-light even with his enhanced night vision. 

Stopping for a moment, he listened to the voices. Sometimes they knew what they were talking about. They might know where he is. 

**Pogtopia. Ruins. Baby Techno. Pogtopia. Phil come get your kids. E. Ravine Party. Furry baby.**

...Huh. So they were somewhere called ‘Pogtopia’? And why did they keep calling  _ him _ a baby? He cast his gaze around the ravine again, hoping to find some answers.

He paused as he looked at the far end of the ravine. There seemed to be a pile of items just laying on the ground, though none of the dust and foliage of the ravine seemed to cover them like the rest of the area.

Those items were freshly dropped.

Hugging the wall to avoid falling to the ground again, Techno made his way over and kneeled next to the items. He blinked upon seeing several swords, potions, golden apples, and other useful battle items sitting next to a brown satchel. Those were...those were pretty valuable items to just be left on the floor next to a bunch of passed out kids. 

He shifted through the items, pulling out a netherite sword, several splash potions, and a couple of the apples. He had to tighten the belt he was wearing by a few notches, but he only found himself more confused when the sword fit perfectly into the sheath at his side. Which is when he took the time to examine his clothing further.

While it was somewhat similar to some of his clothes back home, Techno could not recall ever wearing this much blue. What would normally be his red cape was switched out for a furred blue variation. And he was bundled up as though he were about to go into a snowstorm.

But above all else, the clothes were at least a few sizes too big. And he did not remember putting them on at any point.

Looking back at Wilbur, he could see the other twin having the same issue. The pants legs and sleeves of his sweater were both rolled up and he is currently helping to adjust Tubbo to the long shirt he wore. Tommy seemed to be in the same camp as he stuck his arm into the leg of pants that looked more like something Phil would be wearing than could ever fit him. His twin had to reach over and stop the boy as he tried to pull the pants over his head. 

Looking back at the pile, Techno pulled out another netherite sword, a couple potions of healing, and the rest of the apples before kicking the pile to the side, just in case some enemy tried to snatch some items for themselves. Downing a potion and taking a bite out of an apple, Techno made his way back to the group feeling more steady on his feet. 

“Hi Techie…” Tubbo gave a yawn, rubbing his eyes as Wilbur finished cutting a hole in the back of his shirt, letting the young boy’s puffy tail flick out. The older boy took a moment to ruffle his hair, taking care to avoid the small horns.

“Hey kid. I got some presents.” Techno made quick work of passing out apples to each person, handing Wilbur one of the potions for the baby that was laying in a nest of clothes nearby. His twin nodded his thanks and moved over to the smallest child to try and feed them something. Meanwhile, Techno worked to save Tommy from where he had pulled the pants from before over his head; the young boy letting out a screech when he realized he was stuck.

After giving everyone a moment to eat and feel the healing effects of the apple, Wilbur addressed the group. “Alright...So, does anyone remember how we got here? Or where we are?”

Tommy shook his head as Tubbo did the same. “No.... I remember Dad tucking me and Tubbo in for bed.” Tommy ignored Techno’s mumbled ‘Tubbo and I’, looking around the ravine with wide eyes. He was tugging on the sleeves of a brown jacket Wilbur gave him, his previous clothes little more than scraps on the ground. “Where is he?”

Wilbur seemed to deflate, glancing at Techno who gave him a shrug in return. “I don’t know. And we’re not sure where the baby came from either. So...what do we want to do?”

“Oh!” Tubbo raised his hand, tail wagging behind him in excitement. “Dad said if you get lost to stay where you are so he can come find you. And to send him a message if you’re lost.”

True to the phrase, Techno and Wilbur gave twin groans of annoyance. They both forgot about the communicators. Wilbur patted the pockets on the pants he was wearing, but frowned after a moment with a shake of his head. Techno did the same with better luck, pulling out a communicator that he stared at.

It was...much fancier than he remembered them being. Instead of the walkie-talkie like appearance he was used to, this one appeared to be made out of obsidian and glass with a sleek design. Poking it with a finger, Techno blinked at the screen that greeted him.

“Heh?” There were a lot of options on this thing. How was he supposed to call Phil? 

Sitting down next to Wilbur, the two took several minutes to navigate the device. After the first minute, Tommy peaked over the shoulders of the two and pointed out random options. Tubbo chose to sit with the baby, cooing at them and poking their face occasionally, making them giggle.

Finally, they managed to find a ‘call’ option. The three let out a cheer at seeing it and clicked it, only for the cheers to deflate into groans upon seeing more options. Specifically, about three dozen contacts. After another minute of scrolling through, they managed to find Phil’s contact (which was labeled “Philza (Dad)” with a bunch of tiny pictures of baby zombies next to it) and clicked the call option. 

Techo took over from there, letting his siblings regroup with the baby as he tried to figure out how to explain what was going on. The call clicked in answer almost immediately.

  
_ “Hey Techno. How’s that surprise going? _ ”


	2. The Adult is On the Way - Phil POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil finds out about the kids, but it seems like someone else might get to them first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments!! TBH y'all have been giving me some good ideas for this story, even if it wasn't intentional. But I'm having fun writing this and reading everyone's reactions to it!

Phil stretched out his wings, pulling his arms towards the sky. It was always nice to get a bit of flying in, especially since Techno could now keep up with his trident. Speaking of the piglin hybrid, Phil watched the man hop from pond to pond towards the horizon. He seemed excited enough to meet up with Ghostbur and his brothers. Phil was just glad that the family was spending time together again, a pang of regret sitting in his chest. Ghostbur had a good idea in getting the family together. They should be doing that far more often. Then maybe this whole business with Tommy wouldn’t have started.

Speaking of which...Phil did have a few hours to spare before he needed to show up for his surprise. Visiting his youngest sounded like a good way to spend the time. 

Crouching, Phil gave one powerful flap of his wings and took the air. Feeling the arctic wind card through his hair made him thankful for the warmer clothing Techno made him. He took a few minutes to glide in circles, stretching out his wings some more before he made his way towards Logstedshire. And if he did a few more loops and tricks than normal, there wasn’t anyone around to say otherwise. 

The ground passed below him quickly. Before long, snow melted into trees that gave way to the plains Tommy now lived on. In the distance, Phil could see the Christmas tree and white tent that signaled the end of his short flight and grinned. As soon as he was above the campsite, Phil pulled into a dive, swooping down into the area with a few flaps of his wings before landing proper.

Phil chuckled to himself as he looked around, realizing Tommy wasn’t at his ‘Tnret’ and that his showing off was for nothing. Oh well, there was always next time. Humming to himself, Phil walked along the path to the Logsted walls. He noted the creeper holes that littered the area and made a mental note to bring some dirt along next time he visited.

Reaching the, admittedly quite short, walls, Phil knocked on the side of the entryway. The man turned his gaze over the camp, brows furrowing as he realized his son was still nowhere in sight. Just to be sure, he looked in the small tent and Ghostbur’s house. Looking back over Logstedshire, Phil scratched at his beard, wondering where Tommy might have gone.

“Probably off mining somewhere...Or hanging out in the Nether,” the winged man mumbled. He sighed, realizing that he probably wouldn’t be seeing Tommy today. He was really looking forward to seeing what the kid had been up to since he last saw him. “Welp. Might as well go to L’Manburg instead. No use standing around here.”

Following the path until he broke the tree line, Phil once more took to the sky and made a beeline for the aforementioned city. 

\---

“I swear, Niki, there’s probably some stereotype that I’m feeding into with all this bread. But it’s too good to stop eating.”

The baker gave a small laugh, placing another fresh loaf of bread in front of Phil. “I know, it's your favorite to eat when you visit. I can start making something else for you if you want?”

“No, that’s fine. I’m just spending some time in the area while the kids make a ‘surprise’ for me,” He chuckled. “I’m not sure exactly what Ghostbur’s plan was apart from gathering my sons. Especially since he thought it was my birthday for some reason.”

“At least they’re spending time together...Tubbo doesn’t spend enough time outside of the office as it is.” Niki smiled, wiping some of the flour off of her hands as she reached for more ingredients. “Do you want some bread to take with you when you leave?”

“You, young lady,-” Phil pointed a finger at the girl. “-are going to be the death of me. I’m going to die of diabetes at this point. Or get too full of bread to fly. Either way, just take my money and keep making more.” He stopped for a moment, tapping his chin. “And make a couple extra loaves. I want to bring one to Tommy and one to Techno.”

Niki giggled, turning to pull another two pans off of the bakery shelf to prepare more dough. “Coming right up, Mr. Philza. How is he doing, anyways? I haven’t had a chance to visit Tommy since his exile. I hope he’s doing okay...”

The man sighed, leaning back in his chair. “He’s...doing okay, I think. Given the circumstances anyways. He’s had quite a few people go out to visit him, and Dream’s been there almost every day from what he told me. But Tommy’s always been a social kid, so being so far away from everyone is taking its toll. I was hoping to convince Tubbo to lift the exile order soon…”

The woman frowned, pausing with her hands in the fresh dough. “Did you say Dream was with Tommy?” At Phil’s nod, she continued in a worried tone. “That doesn’t sound good...Dream has been...not very nice to Tommy when they’re together, even when he was still in the SMP. I mean, he took Tommy’s discs away and I think he took one of Tommy’s lives during the L’Manburg war.”

Phil stilled, eyes going wide as he stared at Niki. His mouth gaped open in shock as he tried to understand what Niki just told him. “But...No, surely I would’ve noticed something like that…! He called Dream his best friend while I was visiting the other day!”

“But Dream is the one that exiled him in the first place. Why would he be visiting and being friendly with Tommy if he could just reverse the exile order? Or at least let him into the Dream SMP…”

Groaning, Phil dragged a hand over his face. “I can’t believe I missed that. I swear to Notch if Dream has done anything to my kid, I’m gonna-”

The familiar melody of Pigstep rang through the bakery, causing both of them to stop and look at Phil’s communicator he left on the table.

“Speak of the devil-” Phil grabbed the communicator, pulling it up to his ear as he answered. “Hey Techno. How’s the surprise going?”

_ “Uhh...What surprise?” _

The response held Techno’s signature monotone, but was entirely the wrong pitch given how high it was. Phil grinned. “Tommy, I know that’s you. What are you doing with Tech’s communicator?”

“ _ Heh? No, this is Techno. Tommy’s like 5. Why would I have him call you?” _

Phil rolled his eyes, smiling at Niki who gave him a questioning look. ‘Tommy’ he mouthed back to her, causing her to smile as well. “Really, ‘Techno’? Well then, why don’t you put him on?”

_ “You want to...Okay I guess? Give me a second…”  _ The man could hear some shuffling in the background, alongside snippets of words being spoken. He thought he heard Ghostbur in the background for a moment before a new voice was put on.

_ “Hi Dad!”  _ Phil almost dropped his phone in shock, freezing at the nostalgic but familar voice. His brain struggled to catch up as the boy continued.  _ “So, we’re in a pit. Like a really big pit. And the walls have a lot of vines on them and it’s  _ really _ dusty down ‘ere. And Tubbo’s ‘ere, Wilby’s 'ere, and there’s this baby that we found on the ground. I think they’re a cat? Like an really orange cat. They giggle a lot. Oh, and I got stuck in some pants-” _

“Toms…?” The blond struggled to keep his voice steady, knowing he failed by the way Niki came over with a worried look on her face. “Toms, I need you to...I need you to give your brother back the communicator, okay?”

_ “What? But we just started talking! Why would you want to talk to Techno? He’s old and boring and- Oi-!” _ Part of Phil wanted to smile at the familiar fighting in the background of the call. The rest wanted to cry out of pure confusion and concern.  _ “No! Give that bac-!” _

“ _ Hey Phil, I’m back.”  _

“Tech, I know this sounds weird but I need a straight answer from you.” Phil swallowed. “How old are you and the boys?”

“ _ Wow. I’ve been with you for how long now and you don’t know how old I am? For shame.”  _ The comment made the man bark out a laugh, struggling to keep his panic down. “ _ Wil and I are 14. The gremlins are 6 and I have no idea how old this baby is. Wil thinks it’s abou-Okay, fine! Don’t give me that look! Wil thinks  _ they  _ are about 8 months old, maybe a bit less. But I don’t know. I don’t know anything about babies except that they barf and poop a lot. Thankfully this one hasn’t done either yet.” _

Phil started gathering his things, ready to sprint out of the bakery at Techno’s response. If what Tommy said was right, then they should be in Pogtopia. Alone. As  _ children _ -10 years younger than they should be. He just saw Techno barely two hours ago. What happened?

“Okay Techno. Have everyone stay together. Bundle in one of the rooms if you guys get too cold. I’m on my way over to you now. Just hang tight mate, okay?” A hand caught his wrist. Phil turned to see Niki pointing to the back of her shop before pulling him with her.

_ “Phil says he’s on his way and to just sit tight. Do you want me to stay on the line with you or hang up? _ ” Phil could hear a quiet ‘Told you!’ in the background.

“...” He took a moment to think, watching as Niki opened a trapdoor in the ground and hopping in.. “Hang up. Call me back if anything happens but focus on your brothers for now. I’m on my way and I don’t want to risk the communicator dying before I get there. Call me right back if anything happens.”

A quick affirmative from his eldest and the line went quiet. Phil let out a shaky breath, still struggling to come to terms with what was happening. He jumped down after Niki and looked around the long tunnel that seemed to stretch for miles. Given the amount of plant growth and dust in the tunnel, it hasn’t been used in some time. 

“Pogtopia is this way. This is a straight path there Tubbo made back during the war from L’Manburg to Pogtopia,” Niki stated, starting the run towards the path she indicated. Phil followed, feathers puffing up in distress as he thought about what happened to his kids.

How the hell did his day turn into this?

\----------

_ Earlier that day... _

“Neither of them are responding to my messages and they left an hour ago, Ranboo. We’re going over there to check on them.”

Ranboo shuffled nervously, watching as Quackity donned his Netherite gear. A quick glance from the man had him doing the same. “They could just be busy. Or maybe they have a bad connection? Being underground and all…”

Quackity scoffed. “Really? Bad connection? I don’t know how your old servers worked, but our comms work universally. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re trying to stall, Ranboo.”

“No! I just don’t want to break up what could be a peaceful family reunion.” With a huff from Quackity, the two fell into silence as armor was clasped in place and messages were sent to allies for assistance. This is Technoblade they’ll be dealing with after all.

Watching the vice president with his communicator, Ranboo pulled out his own, looking at the message he received that morning.

_ From: Tommyinnit _

_ Heeeeey Ranboob! Ur pretty much the only guy in L’Manburg I can trust right now. U probably heard from Ghostbur that the family is having a bit of a reunion in Pogtopia today. Well Im going to be there. And Im kind of exiled so I would rather not meet anyone else here since that could mean big bad final death you know? Anyways can u keep everyone but Tubbo and Fundy away from there? At least for a few hours or until Phil comes over. After that it doesnt matter. Im counting on you big man! -Big T _

The fact that Tommy sent him anything at all meant this was big. Usually, he didn’t use private chats since Dream could see them. Their conversations were usually done in person or at least through the message book. Something must have happened to give Tommy the courage to use the comms again. 

That said, Ranboo gave the boy a silent apology as he and Quackity met up with a fully-armored Sapnap and George before starting the trek towards Pogtopia.


	3. Technoblade Never Dies! (But He Does Get Confused)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno being the overprotective bro he is and going ham on some nerds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've said it before, I'll say it again: Watch Techno's earliest vids to hear this high-pitched baby voice he had but still speaking with the same humor.

Techno put down the communicator with a sigh, dragging a hand over his face. While he was glad to speak to his dad and to know help was on the way, the conversation only served to confuse him more. From asking his age to thinking he was  _ Tommy _ of all people, Techno felt like he was looking at a puzzle with a big piece of the center missing. And the chatter in his head wasn’t helping either. They just kept saying variations of ‘Babyblade’ and ‘Dadza’ with a few comments about Tommy’s cuteness thrown in.

Speaking of his siblings, he looked back over the group. He took note of how each brother was doing. Wilbur seemed content to be holding the baby and cooing at them. It looked like he was able to make something resembling a diaper from some of the clothes they were swaddled in initially. Tubbo was following after Tommy, hands clasped together as they poked their heads into various rooms around the bottom of the ravine. He could tell they were having fun with it; Tubbo giggling as Tommy tested out the echo of each room. Techno kept a close eye on them, knowing his twin was busy with the baby.

Techno leaned against the wall of the ravine, keeping his ears open as he closed his eyes. Phil was going to be here soon. And with his help, he could figure out what part of this puzzle he was missing. 

It had to be something obvious. Phil said they were working on a surprise. But why? And why could none of them remember how they got there? What was he-

A distant noise broke Techno’s thoughts. His ears perked up, angling in the direction of the sound. The sound of dirt being shoveled.

He turned towards the top of the wooden and stone staircase, ears straining to hear more. Was it Phil? He said he was on his way but that was-

Footsteps.  _ Multiple. _ Several pairs of feet scraping against the stone above the ravine before pausing. His heart stopped.

That wasn’t Phil.

“Wil,” Techno harshly whispered, striding forward to grab the two younger boys. His twin turned to look at him. “Get the boys into one of the rooms. Someone’s here. It’s not Phil.”

The footsteps turned to crunching sounds. Possibly from eating golden apples.

Wilbur went pale but nodded. Pushing the baby into the crook of his arm, he used his free hand to open a nearby door and usher the youngest into the empty room. Even with his enhanced vision, Techno had trouble seeing past the doorway.

Good.

With both boys inside, the piglin hybrid walked over to the pile of discarded items from before. He grabbed one of the netherite swords, one so damaged the netherite had chipped away in several spots to reveal the diamond sword beneath. But, giving it a few test swings, it should still be enough to hurt anyone that got close. With that, Techno handed the blade to Wilbur.

“Tech, I’m not…” Wilbur shook his head, looking between his brother and the blade with a pained look on his face. “I can’t fight as well as you…”

“I know that. But if I’m not enough to hold off whoever is coming down here…” Techno’s pained expression matched Wilbur’s. “They won’t be expecting a second line of defense.”

The teen nodded in response, looking at the blade for a moment before taking it. Techno was about to turn away when Wilbur dashed forward, pulling him into a one-armed hug.

Breaking glass echoed through the ravine from the entryway above them.

“You better not die on me or I swear to Notch I’ll kill you.”

The piglin hybrid chuckled quietly, holding his twin for a moment before letting go. The footsteps had resumed and Techno could see a foot coming down the ladder near the top of the ravine. The twins looked at each other one last time before Wilbur stepped back, pulling the door shut and retreating to the kids.

It seemed the teen got out of sight just in time. Techno watched from a patch of shadow as four people came down the ladder in an orderly line, slowly making their way to the bottom of the ravine. They all had weapons drawn, covered with armor and shields as they searched the rooms on the upper floor.

The boy drew his own sword, gripping it hard enough to turn his knuckles white. He kept his eyes on the strangers as they took careful steps down the ravine.

One of them started to speak. “Tubbo? Fundy? Are you down here?”

At his brother’s name, Techno’s blood began to boil. Was this group the reason his siblings were down here? He didn’t know who ‘Fundy’ was, but if they intended to hurt his little brother…

**Blood for the blood god.**

The voices began to chant for blood.

Techno was willing to supply it.

The group stepped down to the bottom of the ravine, looking around and lowering their weapons at the absence of people. As Techno’s eyes landed on one near the back, a black and white face whipped around to make eye contact with him. An enderman hybrid, if he had to guess. The man--who Techno was just going to call Enderman in his head--made a noise of confusion.

“Guys…? There’s a kid down here.” The rest of the group turned towards the boy, who took the opportunity to stride out of the shadows and stare down his opponents. The dim torchlight reflected off of his crown and blade as he blocked the group from proceeding further down the path towards his family.

“If you know what’s good for you…” Techno growled, internally wincing at his high-pitched voice. “You’ll turn around now and leave us alone.”

**Blood for the blood god!**

“Oh. my. God!” The man in the beanie-- now dubbed Beanie-- groaned, lowering his weapons to his sides. “I’d know that edgy tone anywhere. Technoblade, what the fuck happened to you? You’re  _ fun _ -sized. And a lot less pink.”

Techno furrowed his eyebrows. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Less pink?  _ Fun-sized _ ? Why did this man know him? He growled deep in his throat. “I don’t know who you are or why you think you know me, but if you think I’m going to let you by just because you think we’re somehow friends--!”

“Look--” Beanie cut him off. “We’re not even remotely friends. And I don’t know what is going on here. But you’re not our priority right now. Just let Tubbo and Fundy go from wherever you’re hiding them and we’ll be out of your way. No harm, no foul.”

That was the breaking point for Techno. It was one thing to demand he give up his younger brother. But to do so in such a casual way? As if they were asking him to give up a scrap of paper? 

The boy dashed forward without warning, pulling up his sword and slashing at the man closest to him.

**BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!**

The men shouted in surprise, the one Techno managed to hit recoiling with the blow as it sliced through his armor and chipped off the netherite coating. They all stepped back, forming a wall with their shields as they stared him down. The man he hit, who had a white bandana around his head, seemed to pause upon seeing him up close.

“Technoblade! Stop! You’re just a kid, we don’t want to hurt you!” The only response the teen gave was to charge again, hitting their shields with a flurry of slashes that kept them on the defensive. 

The man with white goggles covering his eyes lashed back with his own sword, attempting to push Techno back. The boy grinned, taking a hit to his side to get closer to Goggles. A quick strike to the man’s wrist got him to drop the shield with a yell as Techno zeroed in on the male with strikes to the unarmored spots of his body. Each new cut brought more blood spatter and fueled the chorus in his mind. 

He grinned with glee, watching Goggles panic as he was knocked down with a swift kick. The piglin hybrid raised his sword, ready to deal the finishing blow--

Bandana tackled Techno, knocking him aside and to the ground. Twisting around, the boy kicked out with his legs and sent Bandana flying away from him. He jumped back up to his feet, just in time to dodge a fatal swing from the male with the beanie on his head and an axe in his hand.

Techno switched his focus, hammering at Beanie with his sword.

Slash.

Clang.

Slice.

He was lost in the combat. Three versus one was hardly ever good odds, though Enderman's lack of involvement helped, but Techno  _ thrived _ on the challenge. Blood covered his clothes and the boy was unaware of whose it was as the fight progressed. His enemies carried marks and cuts, but so did he. However, they seemed more injured at this point than he did.

**BLOOD!BLOOD!BLOOD!BLOOD!**

They weren’t going to get anywhere near Tubbo if he had anything to say about it.

“What the fuck--” Beanie called out, his helmet flying off with an aimed strike of Techno’s sword. “How the hell is he so strong?! He’s like twelve!”

Taking the time to call out was the man’s fatal mistake. Without the helmet to protect him, Beanie’s head was wide open for Techno’s sword to strike. He reeled back the attack and--

A glint of light caught his eye, followed by the clanging of metal on the ground. He turned to look.

A golden ingot laid on the ground, out of reach of both the group of men and Techno.

Piglin instincts roared to life--shoving aside the voices in their call for blood as it consumed Techno’s entire being.

**_GOLD!_ **

Turning on his heel, the boy dashed for the ingot and abandoned the fight. He tucked himself into a roll, grabbing the ingot in one smooth motion while pulling it away from his opponents. Sitting on the ground, he turned the ingot over, meticulously inspecting it. He gave a distressed squeal upon spotting a patch of blood and took to cleaning the metal with the corner of his cape.

He was so distracted, the teen didn’t notice a winged figure approaching the group from where the ingot had been thrown.

\-------------

Phil arrived with Niki just in time to see Techno--far too young and small--send Quackity’s helmet flying. He knew from experience that they only had seconds before Techno did something horrible, especially considering the frenzied state he seemed to be in. But the sudden age difference for the boy would benefit him here.

The man was suddenly thankful he never gave up the habit of carrying gold around. 

It was simple muscle memory to reach into his pocket and chuck the bar of gold past Techno’s shoulder and onto the ground. And just as expected, the piglin hybrid chased the ingot and abandoned the fight in favor of obsessing over it. The familiar, yet distant sight, brought a warmth to Phil’s chest even as he approached the group of armored men who were staring at the scene with wide eyes.

“Oh my god,” Sapnap huffed out. “You’re telling me the secret to defeating Technoblade has been gold this entire time?! If I had known that I would’ve beaten him ages ago!”

Phil raised an eyebrow at the man. “That kind of thinking is exactly why Techno trained himself out of the habit. It hasn’t worked in years but since he’s now…” He vaguely gestured at the piglin hybrid, who was still turning the gold over in his hands. His chest hurt every time he looked at the boy, still shocked to see him at his current state. “Just count yourselves lucky. He doesn’t hold back in those types of rages.”

“Well, to be fair,” George started. “He attacked us first. We said we didn’t want to fight when we noticed how different he was. But he didn’t want to listen and just started stabbing.”

“In his defense--” Niki chimed in. “--if a bunch of people came over to me covered in armor and holding weapons, I would lash out too.”

The winged-man felt smug as he watched the group look down in shame. Good. They should know better than to attack a kid, even if it was Techno.

As if summoned by the thought, the boy looked up as he finished inspecting the ingot and pocketed it. He stood and, when Phil saw him reach for the sword at his side, he rushed forward to stop him, placing his hands on Techno’s shoulders.

“Tech! Tech, it’s okay. They’re…” Phil hesitated for a moment, feathers ruffling. “Not friends exactly, but I’d rather you stop fighting, mate.”

The piglin hybrid darted his eyes between his father and the group of men, eyebrows furrowing in a glare. “They’re trying to take Tubbo,” he growled, his voice sending another pang through the man’s heart. Phil stilled at the words, taking a moment to process them, feathers ruffling again as he realized what had happened.

He sighed. “Tech, they’re friends of Tubbo’s. They were worried for him. I know--” he paused at Techno’s disbelief. “--you don’t know them. But trust me, Tech, they weren’t here to kidnap him. They’re as confused as you are with the situation and thought he was in danger.”

“Wait-” Ranboo’s voice rang out in the ravine, causing everyone to turn to him. “Is everyone else smaller, too? Like, is Tom-Tubbo a baby?”

Phil raised an eyebrow at Ranboo’s slip. “From what I know, Tubbo isn’t a baby but he’s a little kid again. Fundy, I think, is a baby. I know one of the boys got changed that young, but since he’s the youngest I gather he’s the one that got the short end of the deal.”

“Hold on, pause for a moment,” Techno interrupted, hands in front of him. “What do you mean ‘changed into a baby’? And Tubbo is a little kid ‘again’?”

The winged-man took a breath, putting his hands on Techno’s shoulders again as he looked him in the eyes. 

“Mate, I know this sounds weird, but just this morning you were a 24-year-old man. I don’t know how--or why--but you and your brothers are ten years younger than you should be.”

\-------

And with that, the centerpiece of the puzzle slotted into place as Techno realized what was going on.

  
“... _ Bruuhhhhh _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had a bit more trouble with this chapter than the other two. I kind of struggle with action scenes, plus trying to juggle the right amount of exposition from Phil but everyone trying to figure out what's going on at the same time. Either way, take this chapter away.


	4. A Break Down and Breakthrough - Wilbur POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Phil has a bit of an episode, Big Q gets mad, and Wilbur gets some answers.

Wilbur kept quiet, huddled in the corner of the room with his younger siblings clinging to his sides. He held the sword in his left hand while holding the baby in the crook of his right arm. His gaze never left the doorway, even as he whispered assurances to his brothers.

He was terrified. Part of Wilbur knew Techno could hold his own in battle, even if the odds weren’t in his favor. But the rest of him was scared he was about to lose his brother--his twin--just meters away from where he sat with the rest of his family. The uncertainty of what was happening on the other side of the door made it difficult to breathe between his whispered words.

The teen wasn’t sure how long had passed. Minutes after shutting the door, he heard the tell-tale clash of metal and shouts from grown men. Tommy and Tubbo had both buried themselves into Wilbur’s side, Tubbo giving small bleats with each screaming clash of blades. The baby was curled up in their bundle of fabric and was thankfully napping. Their ears twitched occasionally, but they otherwise stayed still as they slept.

But now, the screeching of metal had stopped and only faint murmurs of conversation could be heard. It took everything in him to keep from crying. If Techno had lived, he wouldn’t be talking with the enemy. He would’ve come straight to the door and told them.

Wilbur waited. And waited. No one came to the door, but the conversation didn’t seem to move in the ravine. It stayed in the same place, occasionally rising in volume with some exclamation. After what felt like hours, Wilbur made a decision.

The teen turned to Tubbo, putting down the sword. “Tubbo, I need you to hold them for me,” he whispered.

Tubbo looked back with wide eyes. “Wilby…?”

He used his free hand to maneuver the boy’s arms into the correct position before placing the baby carefully in them. The baby scrunched their face briefly before settling in the new position. Wilbur stood.

The blade felt heavy in his hand as he picked it back up. He looked at his two brothers, huddled together with the baby between them. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he turned to the door. 

He slowly pushed it open, inching his way out of the room. Wilbur could see the armored men in a semicircle, two figures on his side of the line with their backs to the teen. He knew the figure of his father immediately, flanked by his twin on his other side.

For a moment, Wilbur thought his father was in danger and his grip tightened on his sword. He grounded himself, lowering into a stance ready to jump in to help. Then, as he searched for weak points like Techno taught him, he realized the men had all sheathed their blades. Phil’s accented voice floated over to him. There wasn’t a hint of panic or anger in the voice, mostly just confusion and concern.

The boy, distracted by the situation in front of him, didn’t notice that he let the door in his hand go until it thudded against the frame. The sound echoed like a bomb throughout the ravine and Wilbur jumped a foot in the air at the noise. Every face turned to look at him. 

“Uh, I’m guessing everything is fine now?” The teen kept his grip on the sword, eyes flicking between his father and brother for a response. He could hear one of the men in the group whisper a quiet ‘Holy shit--’ as they stared at him. His brother shrugged but Phil was looking at him with wide eyes. “Phil? Is everythin--”

From one moment to the next, Phil had wrapped his arms around Wilbur and buried his face in the boy’s shoulder. The man’s large wings cocooned the two in darkness, hiding them from the rest of the ravine. Wilbur’s arms hesitated for a moment, dropping his sword before tentatively hugging the man back. “...Phil?”

A quiet, shaky breath came from next to his ear. “You…” Phil’s voice sounded wrecked with emotion, coming out rougher than Wilbur had ever heard it. “Wil--You’re...Notch, you’re...I was scared you were still gonna be--” The man’s voice caught in a sob. “You’re so  _ warm _ .”

Wilbur awkwardly patted his father’s back, eyebrows furrowed in worry. He seemed fine a moment ago standing next to Techno. And surely he knew his sons were okay based on the call they had earlier. Why was he so upset? “Dad, is everything okay…? What’s wrong?”

Phil clutched him tighter, another sob coming out with the endearment. “Wil...You were…” The man stopped, breaking down further into sobs. Wilbur gently guided the man towards the ground, letting Phil lean harder on him and giving the boy a window through his wings that let him see his brother.

Techno looked just as lost as Wilbur felt. Wilbur tilted his head, but the only response he received was another, though more exaggerated, shrug. Guess he was on his own then.

The boy settled for whispering assurances to Phil, trying to channel what the older man did for him when he or someone else was upset. Though his father’s breakdown was scaring him, Wilbur couldn’t deny the amount of comfort the embrace was giving him. He felt like he hasn’t had a hug like this in years (‘ _ because you haven’t’  _ a part of him whispers). 

Techno kept something of a vigil during the moment, standing between them and the group of men with arms crossed. Though it didn’t seem necessary as they looked as put-out as the twins did. 

After what felt like hours, Phil pulled back and released the boy from the wing-cocoon. He kept one hand on Wilbur’s shoulder as he used the other to wipe at his face with his sleeve. “I--Notch, I’m sorry about that, Wil. You must be very confused…”

“That’s a bit of an understatement right now,” Wilbur chuckled, searching his father’s face for a sign of what started the episode. “Are you alright? Feeling better?”

Phil let out a sigh. “Yeah...Yeah, sorry about that. It’s just...a lot has happened today and seeing you just--I dunno. I broke a bit there.” He let out another sigh. “I have a lot to explain to you and the boys.”

As if summoned by Phil’s words, a brown blur tackled into the two with a screech and tucked into Phil’s side. The man’s wings fluffed up in surprise, but Wilbur relaxed after just seeing it was Tommy in the leather jacket from before. He frowned, looking at the younger boy. “Tommy, I thought I told you to stay with Tubbo and the baby.”

The boy in question pouted. “It was dark and boring there! And Dad’s here now!” Tommy continued to pout and ramble at Wilbur, even as Phil picked up the boy and sat him in front of him.

Wilbur’s gaze flicked up to meet Phil’s, but the man was looking at Tommy with the same awe in his eyes that he had with him. His father was treating Tommy as though he were made of glass, tentatively touching the jacket he wore and the dirt-filled blond hair on his head. Tommy, on the other hand, seemed completely oblivious to the attention as he crossed the arms of his jacket and glared at Wilbur with all of the intimidation a 6 year old could muster. 

After a moment of silence, Tommy seemed to realize his rants weren’t going to get a reaction. He dropped the pout and looked past Wilbur. “Tubbo!” His yell echoed through the ravine. “Come on! Stop hiding already!”

“...There’s a lot of people here…” Wilbur turned to see Tubbo shyly peeking out from the doorway. His ears were flicking as he took in the ravine’s occupants and he curled around the baby in his arms.

“Holy shit, Tubbo?! Fundy?!” One of the men surged forward as he stared at Tubbo with wide eyes.

Several things happened at once. Techno rushed forward to meet the man, blocking his way as he growled. Tubbo gave a bleat of fear as he scrambled back and Wilbur dashed over to block the man’s view of his brother with his sword held in front of him. Phil surged up as well, wings fluffing up again (though they never truly relaxed) as he put his hands out towards the man.

“What the hell did they do to you?” The man glared as he darted his gaze from Techno to Wilbur to...Tommy? The small boy shrank back, scurrying behind Wilbur to huddle next to Tubbo. “What the  _ hell _ did you do to our  _ president _ ?!”

“Quackity--” Phil held his hands up in a placating manner, even as the man-- apparently named Quackity-- scowled in response. “You need to calm down. You’re scaring the kids.”

“It’s their fault they  _ are _ kids! Techno and Tommy must have conspired to do this! Hell, maybe Ghostbur got involved as well to resurrect himself! Don’t you see what happened here, Phil?” Wilbur had no idea what the man was on about, but he could practically see the foam at his mouth from anger. “This was all Techno and Tommy’s idea. It must have been! To cripple this nation and take revenge for exiling them. How could you--”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Phil cried, wings flaring out and dwarfing Quackity. The man shrank back at the sight, eyes going wide. “I don’t care what conspiracy theory you have about what happened here. What I know is that my kids need me, whether this was some scheme against L’Manburg or not. So why don’t you take your men and get out of here before I do something we’ll both regret.”

Quackity swallowed, staring down Phil for a moment before squaring his shoulders and turning around. He stalked back to his group, waving an arm towards the stairs. “Let’s get out of here. They can sort this out themselves. And you know what?!” The man turned back towards Phil with a glare. “As acting president, I decree Philza Minecraft can join Tommyinnit and Technoblade in exile since he's so buddy-buddy with them. Grab your shit and be out by nightfall.”

Though that sounded important, one look at Phil showed that his father didn’t even care about his new exile. He just shrugged and raised an eyebrow at Quackity. The ‘president?’ stormed up the stairs with his men following on his heels.

“Yeah!” Tommy shouted after them, his shrill voice bouncing off of the walls. “You better run!”

“Ugh, man that was a bit of a clusterf--” Phil paused, looking down at Tommy for a moment. “...Disaster. That was a disaster.” 

Techno snorted. “Nice save.”

“Okay, that’s it!” Wilbur threw his hands up. “What the bloody hell is going on?!”

Phil scratched the back of his neck. “Uh, it’s a bit confusing, Wil. I already told Tech a bit but--”

“We’re not supposed to be kids, apparently,” Techno cut Phil off. “It’s like, ten years in the future and we’re all grown up and stuff. Well, the tots are teens now but you know what I mean. And the baby--” He pointed at the bundle in Tubbo’s arms. “--is apparently your son, Wil. Like, biologically. His name’s Fundy.”

Wilbur stared at his twin in disbelief. “I...have a son…?” He looked over at Phil. “...Dad?”

“See Techno, this is why I said to let me do the talking,” Phil sighed. He walked over to Tubbo, carefully pulling the baby--Fundy--from the boy’s arms. He looked back at Wilbur. “Yeah, mate. He’s telling the truth, though Fundy was actually born after you turned 18. And don’t ask me about the mum, I have no idea what to even say about that. I never met her and older you was a bit...how do I put this lightly…” He hummed. “Bit messed up in the head. Kept saying he fu- _ had _ Fundy with a salmon. As in the fish.”

“This is a lot to take in…” 

“I know, Wil. I’m still in shock myself. But now with my new exile, we’re gonna have to get moving soon.” He looked around the ravine, frowning. He paused, looking at something behind Wilbur. “Wil, can you hold Fundy for me please? Just for a moment.”

The teen took the baby--his son-- into his arms as Phil strode over to the pile of discarded items Techno pushed to the side earlier. He picked up a beaten-up brown satchel that looked ready to fall apart.

“This was Tommy’s bag…” Phil’s whisper carried across the ravine as he opened the satchel and revealed several pieces of paper sandwiching a thicker notebook. Wilbur exchanged a glance with Techno, who shrugged. The two youngest boys were practically clinging to Wilbur’s legs as they watched their father rifle through the bag. 

Phil seemed to notice the boys watching him and he released the satchel with a sigh. “I can look around that later. Do you boys have everything you need?” The man slung the satchel over his shoulder and let the bag fall to his side.

There was silence from the siblings before Tommy spoke up.

“I need pants.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH with y'all...those Jan 5th and 6th streams gave me inspiration to write bc holy heck did Tommy f-up and just shatter that friendly Techno-Tommy bond they had going. So i came running back to my drafts to cope lol


	5. Of Clothes and No-No Squares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy continues to go without pants while the adults plan out the next course of action.

Leaving Pogtopia was about as eventful as it was coming in. 

Following his exclamation, Tommy decided it was best to demonstrate what he meant by his lack of pants. Which of course was followed up with a repeat of Phil’s ‘No-No Square’ lesson he gave the boy years ago about bodily autonomy and how he shouldn’t show other people he’s not wearing pants. This prompted the two youngest to bombard the man with questions regarding birds and bees he struggled to deflect (all while the twins stood back and watched him flounder with smiles on their faces). 

All-in-all, it took about half an hour for the family to get moving back towards L’Manburg. 

The boys had settled for the most part. Wilbur was still looking down at Fundy in his arms with a confused expression while Techno occasionally poked the baby to make him giggle. Tommy and Tubbo had each taken one of Phil’s hands as they walked and were loudly conversing with each other. It warmed Phil’s heart and reminded him of their real childhood a decade ago. Part of him didn’t want to let it go.

A few minutes into the tunnel, Phil paused at seeing Niki leaning on the wall. He almost forgot she had been with him in the turmoil, though she opted to stay behind to keep from overwhelming the kids at first when Techno calmed down. 

She perked up at seeing the large family, looking over them before settling on the two youngest. They hid behind Phil’s legs as they stared back at her. She put a hand to her mouth and for a moment Phil thought she was going to cry. “Oh my gosh…” She whispered. “They’re so cute!”

Techno growled softly and started to edge his way to the front of the group before Phil stopped him. He cleared his throat as he gestured towards the woman. “Boys, this is a friend of mine, Niki. She was with me when we were on comms earlier and showed me the tunnel here. And,” he said with a wink towards the smallest boys. “She’s an excellent baker of cookies and sweets.”

Tubbo’s eyes went wide as he looked up at her. “Really…?”

She nodded, chuckling softly as she kneeled down to his level. “I make all kinds of things at my bakery. Your dad likes to stop by often and pad his tummy.” Phil groaned as Tubbo and Tommy both giggled, the latter poking the man’s stomach.

The lamb hybrid looked at Niki a little bit longer, ears twitching, before looking at Tommy. The human boy, unlike his brother, had no issue with the woman and raced over to give her a hug. She looked shocked for a moment, blinking with her arms at her side, before she returned the hug. A moment later, Tubbo followed and Phil could see the boy’s small tail wagging furiously. It looks like Niki gained their affections quickly. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Phil could see Techno relax though the teen didn’t take his eyes off of Niki as she described the number of items she made at her bakery. Wilbur was staring as well, though Phil could tell he looked more… interested than Techno did. Notch, he hoped the boy wasn’t crushing on the poor woman. She wasn’t single and Wilbur shouldn’t get his heart broken this soon after waking up like he did.

Phil cleared his throat, interrupting the boys and Niki and turning their attention back to him. “Niki, you’re more familiar with everyone on the server. Do you know anyone who is good with tailoring or clothes making? We’re going to be traveling in the snow and the boys all need better winter gear.”

Niki hummed, thinking for a moment. “I don’t think we really have anyone who’s into clothes making… Wait, no, I think Eret does. I remember them saying they make most of their own clothes. But I don’t know if that would translate well to making gear for others.”

The man shrugged, pulling out his communicator. “No harm in asking them.”

A few moments later, he was arranging a meeting between him and the ex-king to meet at his L’Manburg home.

\-------

“Woah!” Tommy craned his neck, looking over the whole of L’Manburg from the entrance of the bakery. He kept his hand firmly on Niki’s, like Phil told him to, as he swept his gaze around the raised platforms and houses. The woman was the only thing keeping him walking forward and out of the water at this point, but he couldn’t help it.

It was so cool!

Looking over at his brother, he could see Tubbo was in a similar state. The lamb hybrid was leaning over the side of the path, gazing into the water with wide eyes. He kept his hand firmly in Niki’s as well and Tommy could see Tubbo would be in the water without her help.

His dad chuckled behind them. “Yup. This is L’Manburg. It used to be a big ol’ crater before they filled it in with water and made the boardwalk. Quite a few people live here, including myself. Well, before the whole exile thing. In fact, that’s my house right there.”

Tommy looked over to see his dad’s outstretched arm point as the last house in the row. It was...smaller than he expected. Well, it was the same size as the other houses, but their house back home was almost three times its size. His bedroom in this house must be very small. 

The boy kicked out his feet, following the group of adults over to said house where a man with black glasses stood with a chest at his side almost bursting with fabrics. Tommy stared at the man for a moment, looking at his glasses and then the long flowing dress he wore. It looked pretty. He wanted a dress like that.

“Holy-- You weren’t kidding when you said they were kids,” the man stated as they walked up. His dress was prettier up close and was green like the trees and grass around his house. It even had some flowers on it!

“Yeah, shocked me too, mate,” His dad replied. “And they don’t remember a thing. It’s like they were never adults. Or teens.”

“Ah, well, in that case--” The man bowed. Tommy wondered how his crown didn’t fall off. “My name is Eret. I helped to found L’Manburg and am the current king of the Dream SMP. The big castle on the hill is mine. But I’m the only one around here who knows a thing or two about tailoring so Phil called me to help out. Also, I go by any pronouns so don’t be afraid to mix it up from time to time.”

“What’s a pro-nun?” Tubbo loudly whispered to Tommy. Niki quietly giggled while Tommy thought.

“It's when a person makes an army of just nuns. Or marries a nun. ‘Cause they’re really pro-nun,” Tommy confidently whispered back, chest puffing out as Tubbo gave a quiet ‘Ohhhh’ with a nod. Niki giggled louder as Phil gave a loud sigh and pinched his nose.

“Tommy, that’s not--Okay…” He paused to sigh again. “Pronouns are what we use to talk about people instead of their names. Like using ‘he’ or ‘her’. Those are pronouns. Eret goes by any of them. So you could call Eret a ‘she’, ’he’, or ‘they’.”

“Oh! Okay. Sorry about that,” Tommy said, looking to Eret, who just shrugged. The ma--person pulled out a long tape measure from the chest of fabrics before looking at the group.

“Alright! Who's going first for measurements?” Eret called out. Tommy and Tubbo looked to their dad, who shrugged.

“Do you two want to go first?” The boys looked at each other before nodding. “Alright, I guess Tommy and Tubbo are going first. But let’s go inside for some privacy.”

Niki helped to shuffle them into Phil’s house, which looked even smaller on the inside. There wasn’t even a couch on the bottom floor, just a small fireplace, some furnaces, and a few chests. It was kind of sad. If Techno and Wilby’s frowns were anything to go by, they thought so too.

Eret looked around for a moment before placing their chest off to the side. They turned back to the group. “Alright, Tommy if you could please stand in front of me and put your arms out to the side, like a T.”

“T for Tommy. Got it big ma--guy--person.” The boy did as instructed, looking up at Eret, who just chuckled. The king looked back down at him for a moment before putting the tape measurer against his arms, shoulders, and torso while taking notes in a book.

The king then kneeled, pulling back the tape again before putting it against his right hip and moving towards--

Uh, oh. That’s his no-no square. Dad said no one goes near the no-no square, especially without pants.

As he was instructed earlier that day, Tommy let out a loud screech before swinging back his leg and catching Eret in the stomach. The king let out a groan as he fell back and Tommy ran over to Phil. He didn’t stop screeching until he was behind him, sandwiched between his dad and Wilby.

No one moved and the room was silent as Eret started to get back up. Phil threw out an arm in front of Techno, who looked really scary as he glared at Eret. Wilby put his hands on Tommy’s shoulders as he stared down Eret as well.

Tommy looked up at his dad. “Did I do good? I did what you told me to.”

Phil looked confused, gaze darting between Tommy and the king. “What? Tommy, mate, what’s wrong? Why did you scream? Eret was just taking measurements for your new clothes.”

The boy felt equally confused. “He went near my no-no square and I’m not wearing pants. You said that was bad and to scream when that happened.”

There was the sigh again, like before. Like a sigh, but also laughter rolled into one. Phil pulled his arm away from Techno, who stopped glaring and turned to look at Tommy with everyone else. 

“Yes, Tommy you did very good. But if someone is near your no-no square and I’m right next to you, or at least looking at you, you don’t need to scream. Or if your older brothers are there either. In fact, just announce it if either of us are there, okay? No screaming necessary.”

Tommy took a moment to process the information. If Phil, or Techno and Wilby, was there, no screaming. If none of them are there, scream and run. He nodded. That made sense.

A groan and chuckle from across the room brought his attention back to Eret. He was sitting up now and holding his stomach. “For a little guy, you sure have a good kick. Got me good.”

Phil paled, running over the king and helping him up. “By the End, Eret I am so sorry about him. I swear I didn’t mea-”

The king waved him off. “Nah, it’s all good. Caution at that age is better than none. I’d be more concerned if he didn’t freak out.” They paused for a moment. “And is he really not wearing pants?”

The boy shook his head. “Tubbo and I don’t have pants. That’s why Dad called you over to make the clothes. I just got this jacket and--”

He was interrupted by the front door slamming open and the black-and-white guy from before stood there with a hand on his belt as he panted. “Oh goodness, that’s a workout… I heard… Someone scream… Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s fine, Ranboo,” Niki spoke up, holding her hands up. “Tommy was a little nervous with Eret’s measuring. He only got the… um, the…” Her brow furrowed for a moment. “... Wie heisst es...Ah, ‘private parts’ talk today and was a little confused with the instructions.”

“Oh…” Ranboo’s shoulders dropped, looking around the room for a moment. He looked nervous. “I’ll be going then. Ah, good luck with the rest of that…”

As quickly as he was there, Ranboo was gone.

He seemed nice.

“Okay, Tommy. Let’s try this again,” Eret called, holding up the measuring tape again. Tommy assumed his T in front of them and announced every time the tape or hands went near his no-no square. 

Phil looked proud of him at that.

He liked when Phil was proud.

\-------

When Tubbo and Tommy finished up with Eret, Phil let the two of them outside to play around the docks. He kept the door open as they ran off, hand-in-hand and shouting with glee, to keep an eye on the two from his house. That left the adults and older kids in the room together.

“So, Phil--” Eret started, using his pins and hemming tape to fix up Wilbur’s clothes. “--not that I don’t enjoy a good project, but why do you need the kids to have winter gear? Aren’t you going to just take them over to your private server? Seems like the default course of action to go with.”

Phil sighed, brushing his hand through his hair. “I would love to, honestly. But I can’t. I put the server on stasis to come here and it’s not due to open back up for another two months.”

“Stasis?” Niki looked at Phil with confusion, idling rocking a cooing Fundy in her arms. “What does that mean?”

“It’s mostly used for smaller, more personal servers,” He explains. “Basically, if you are going to be far from your server for a while, but don’t want to risk things getting overrun by mobs or animals starving you can put the server in stasis. It freezes the server for the duration so time doesn’t move, but you can’t do anything there while it is in stasis. It costs a fee in the main hub to set up and I paid for 3 months in advance. I figured if I needed to leave the DreamSMP, I could just stay at public servers, like Hypixel, until it’s unfrozen. But I can’t risk that with kids, so my best bet is to stay here for now.”

Eret hummed, moving onto Wilbur’s other arm. “I think I’ve heard of it before. When big or popular servers are shut down, they can memorialize it that way, right?”

Phil nodded. “They usually get big donations to help keep the server frozen for a while, though some just use plug-ins to stop people from breaking shit and run the risk of time-based issues.” The man sighs. “But with my server frozen, I’m going to take the boys out to Techno’s cabin. It’s away from the chaos of this place and it’s got supplies to keep us going while I figure this mess out.”

Niki paused, looking at Phil for a moment. “Do you…” she paused. “Do you think Puffy and I could come with you? At least to build a house out there, not directly move into the cabin. I’m not...particularly attached to L’Manburg after Wilbur’s...It’s like a shadow of what it was supposed to be. And I can hardly stand to stay here any longer.”

The sight of Niki so downcast about this, and the reminder of his son’s death, sparked the pain in his chest again. But he knew the answer the moment the question left her mouth. 

“Of course you can come with, Niki. I could use some extra hands to help out with the gremlins. And it can get lonely out in the arctic without some extra company. It’ll make the area a bit more cozy.”

The woman practically beamed at him, shoulders dropping tension he hadn’t noticed was there. She nudged the fox hybrid into the crook of one arm as she fished her communicator out of her pocket. “I’ll send Puffy a message and let her know so we can start packing up the house.” 

(Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Wilbur perking up at the news as well. Oh dear.)

Some of the pain in Phil’s chest eased knowing Niki would be nearby with his boys and they wouldn’t be isolated. Someone he could lean on if needed. It was helping him feel a bit better about the arrangement.

\--------------------------------------

Netherite boots clicked quietly on the boardwalk planks as the man walked towards the L’Manburg square where two young boys were horse playing with each other. He noted Phil nearby, but the man had turned his gaze into the house. He probably didn’t even notice his approach. The two boys, however, did and looked up as his shadow fell over them.

Dream smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating! I hit a bit of a writers block + school just started up again so hw is kicking my butt ;w; but I loved reading everyone's comments and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!!


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